Darkness within the Light
by ZRAWW
Summary: A small glint of hope returns to Retroville when Jimmy doesn't think his days can get any darker from what they are now.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, sorry to jump from story to story. But I'm currently working a 11pm-9am shift at work and this story popped into my head. Lemme hear some feedback from you guys, positive or negative.

Jimmy pulled a cigarette from his pocket and put it to his lips, searching for his lighter in the process. The woman sitting across from him lowered her glasses and cleared her throat.

"Mr. Neutron, for the umpteenth time, this is a non-smoking building. Please do not light that."

The man rolled his eyes and ignited the tobacco product. He took a long draw and blew it out towards the open window.

"And for the umpteenth time, I'm going to smoke regardless. Is it necessary for us to have this conversation every appointment?"  
>The therapist put the clipboard she was holding down and took her glasses off completely.<p>

"James, are we ever going to actually talk about your problems? That's what you pay me for, to discuss problems. Not for you to show up to every appointment and just sit there having a staring match for an hour."

Jimmy took another draw from his cigarette and tossed it out the window.

"Alright doc, let's talk about my problems."

"Alright, how's your home life?"

"My home life? The usual, watching my mother poison herself daily with a collection of liquors that she refuses to admit that she's addicted to. Uhhhhh, having to stare at the empty house across my streets that used to house the only girl who I've ever loved that decided she was bigger than this town could be for her. What else, what else...Oh, and the crazy bitch that I call my ex that shows up at my house, drunk, every chance that she gets. Does that sum up my home life doc?"

The therapist was not fazed by Jimmy's sudden outburst.

"Feel better now?"

Jimmy put his face in his hands and leaned back in the couch. He run his hands up his face and down the back of his head.

"I had sex with Betty again a few days ago."

"How did that make you feel?"  
>"Same as always. I finished, we laid there, she left. I felt empty as always and I'm assuming she went down to the bar to drink herself to sleep."<p>

"Jimmy why do you think you continue to sleep with Betty when you've stated on multiple occasions that shes a, and I quote, 'psycho bitch that can't keep her nose clean.' Unquote."

Jimmy took a second to think about what he was asked. He finally shrugged his shoulders.

"The sex is good. Physically anyway."

The therapist shook her head and wrote something down on her clipboard.

"Well your times up today, we'll try to talk about this again at your next appointment."

Jimmy stood up from the couch and stretched a little. He walked outside to the receptionist where he payed his therapist's fee. This was a common day during his appointments. Maybe he liked the idea that he could mold himself into what he wanted to be in that office, the fact he could lie and portray himself as what he should have been. Or maybe it was just the company that his therapist brought that he didn't have anywhere else.

He walked outside and sat down in his car, debating on where to even go. He didn't want to go home and look at his mom slowly kill herself. He put his car into drive and headed to Sam's bar. He pulled up and lit a cigarette as he walked in.

Sam had changed the candy bar to an actual bar around the time Jimmy and his friends turned 18, about 4 years ago. He sat down at an empty bar stool and motioned for the bar tender. The man sat down a glass of cranberry juice in front of Jimmy. He refused to drink after he saw what it had done to his mom. He took a small sip from it and took drags from his cigarette. He wasn't going to be alone for long. A hand run up the back of his head, rubbing his hair.

"James, back for more are we?"

The turned to face the voice, Betty Quinlan.

"It's 4 pm Betty, you're usually not out of bed until 5."

She giggled at him and took the empty stool next to him.

"Oh now, Jimmy aren't you happy to see me?" She asked, running her fingers through his hair. He pushed his arm away from her.  
>"What did I tell you about calling me that?"<p>

She gave him an annoyed look and motioned at the bar tender. He sat a glass down in front of her that wreaked of vodka.

"James, why don't you just give it up? It's always gonna be you and me. Ms. Big city living isn't coming back for you. Betty and James. Doesn't that sound like the dream?"

He took a long sip of his juice and ashed his cigarette.

"More like a nightmare. What do you want Betty? To play fucking house together in Retroville the rest of your life? Have some illegitimate children and live with my mom til she stops pumping death into her liver? No, that's not a fucking dream."

Betty smirked at everything he had said. She finished off her drink and grabbed her purse.

"Say what you want sweetheart, but she's not coming back. The sooner you realize that, the sooner we can start playing fucking house."

He wanted to lash out at her, make her feel worthless, make her feel like he felt. But he couldn't, because even though he didn't want to believe it...She was probably right. He hadn't heard from Cindy Vortex in 3 years. She took the first flight out from Retroville after graduation, straight to New York, to NYU. The spoke now and then online, but that stopped when Jimmy turned 19. Libby would mention speaking to her every once in a while, but she didn't go into detail.

Jimmy finished off the last of his juice and left his money for the bartender. Before he could exit the building, he got a text from Sheen stating 'Come over tonight around 6, having a BBQ and Libby will cut your balls off if you don't show up.' Jimmy smiled, if anyone could cheer him up, it was Sheen and Libby.

He drive home and walked inside. All the lights were off, and his mom sat at the kitchen table peering out the sliding glass door. In one hand was a bottle of vodka, the other was occupied with a cigarette. She sat motionless.

"Mom I'm home"

She still sat motionless, she didn't reply or even pay him a look.

"I'm going over to Sheens. I'll be home eventually, do you need anything?"

He was met with silence. He was used to it now, the silence. He jumped in the shower and threw a fresh pair of clothes on. He walked to the front door and started to tell his mom bye, but what was the point. He got into his car and was at Sheen and Libby's house before he knew it.

He knocked on the door and Sheen answered it. Sheen had grown up a lot since his younger days. He looked the same, now with just a lot of tattoos covering his body. His ultralord obsession was gone in highschool.

"What's the occasion" Jimmy asked walking inside and towards the backyard.

"Good question. Libby decided she wanted to have a party for a special reason...one I have yet to know. But I learned not to ask questions about anything a long time ago."

The boys entered the backyard where Libby and a few of their friends resided. Jimmy mingled a bit trying to figure out what was going on but no one but Libby knew, he kept her lips shut.

"Jimmy, you'll find out who what the reason is soon enough. For now, keep your panties on. It's not gonna kill ya"

Jimmy didn't argue with Libby, he knew better. She was one of the few people he still allowed to call him Jimmy, which wasn't many. More guests started flowing into the backyard, one of which was Carl Weezer. Carl had come a long way since his elementary school days. He had slimmed down and had got some medication that controlled most of his allergies. He had become more stylish as well, ditching his large glasses and geek-sheek look.

"Hey Jim" he greeted as he walked over.

"Hey man, how's your mom doing?" Carl scratched the back of his head and looked down.

"How about we talk about it after the party? We need to start planning the next...job"

Jimmy nodded his head at Carl and understood what he meant. Carl's mom was diagnosed with cancer and their debt was starting to climb. His dad had a good job but it wasn't enough to pay for everything that the hospital had ordered.

Before long Libby received a phone call at which she squealed at. She entered the house and then came back out.

"OKAY EVERYONE, NOW IS THE MOMENT EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAITING ON, THE WHOLE REASON FOR THIS BBQ. THE GUEST OF HONOR...CINDY VORTEX"

Jimmy's legs almost gave out from under him...She was back?


	2. Chapter 2

He had to sit down. This whole thing couldn't be real, it had to be a dream. He had to wake up any minute now in a cold sweat in his room. He kept blinking his eyes, waiting for them to open up in reality. But that moment never came. He watched her laugh and chat with some girls that came up to her. Sheen sat down next to him in a lawn chair.

"Jim, man, I'm sorry. I didn't think of all things, this would be the reason for the party. Don't be mad at Libby" Sheen pleaded to him. Jimmy just stared in disbelief at the blonde girl. Sheen handed him a beer. Jimmy didn't drink liquor, but a beer now and again didn't hurt.

"Jim, you okay?"

Sheen waved his hand in front of Jimmy's face. He snapped out of his daze and sipped his beer.

"It's okay Sheen. Just weird...Always wishing this day would happen, and then when it does, I have no idea how to handle it."

"You sure you're gonna be alright? I can make an excuse for us to get out for a bit until you think you can come back" Sheen offered to his best friend. Jimmy shook his head at the notion.

"That's alright man. No sense in running away from this."

Sheen nodded and continued to take care of the occupied beer in his hand. The boys sat around for while til Libby came up to them.

"Sheen, Cindy is going to stay with us until her housing deal is finalized. It shouldn't be for more than a week" Libby explained, more of a statement than a question.

"Whatever you want babe" he replied to her. She smiled and returned back to being a hostess.

"So Carl told me we were gonna meet about the next job site" Sheen said after Libby left earshot.

"Yeah, figured we'd go to the basement and discuss it. Just get a basic plan down for now, just the site for now. I'll figure out what equipment we need and the times, you get the covers, and Carl will handle the escape. Not gonna jinx us, but hopefully it will be a quick and easy job."

Sheen nodded and finished off his beer, silently agreeing to the plan.

The party lasted late into the night. Everyone was cleared out by midnight, except for Libby, Sheen, Jimmy, Carl, and Cindy. The boys resided down in the basement while the girls sat upstairs, drinking some wine and sharing stories of Cindy's absence.

"So any men in your life currently" Libby asked, trying to pry.

Cindy rolled her eyes, smirking. She sipped of her wine and sat the glass down.

"Being a full time college student puts a damper on my love life. I went on a few dates here and there, but it never led to anything." Libby raised an eyebrow with a half smirk.

"ANYthing" Libby said, putting any emphasis on the word. She was met with an eye roll again.

"Like I said Libs, a damper on the love life. Let's just say the Vortex plumbing hasn't been attended to in a while"

"Maybe that's why you came back...have a residential plumber by the name of...oh...lets say Jimmy Neutron to work on it" Libby asked while holding back a stifled laugh. Cindy smacked her on the arm with a red face.

"Libby, hush! I haven't spoke to him in years. It was just hard juggling that life with this life and college life. I just lost touch. Has he said anything?"

"I've mentioned conversations with you, but he never really asked anything. He dated Betty for a while...but that didn't last very long. I never really see him with anybody."

"Betty, huh? Kinda would make sense I guess. He always pawed after he when we were younger. What does she do nowadays?" Libby snickered at the question.

"Slums her way around Sam's bar. Not sure if she has a job, but that's the only place I ever see her. According to Sheen though, she's still crazy over Jimmy"

Meanwhile, down in the basement...

"Okay, we've got three different trucks to choose from. Truck #1 is the least amount we can get from the group. But it's also gonna be the easiest. All we have to do is reroute the GPS to take this small back road, where we can get in and get out no problem. All trucks have two guards, armed with different weapons. Truck #1 drivers are gonna be armed with just your standard issue pistols. The other two trucks are gonna be armed with automatic weapons. Again, truck #1 is the easiest by far" Carl finished explaining to the group of guys.

"So what's the pay gonna be?" Sheen asked.

"Well, we're gonna have to pay the fees of the normal jobs. Sam will get his cut, the 4th guy we decide to hire, and then all the expenses of the job. So I'm thinking around the area of...150 grand a piece?"

Jimmy and Sheen both nodded. Good price for an easy job. Enough to last them for a while.

"Sounds like a plan then. I'll start the research tomorrow on everything we need and the bio's on the security guards and the truck. Sheen, talk to your guys and figure out the weapons situation and transport. Carl, devise the detour for the truck and the get away plan."

Carl and Sheen nodded and the boys headed upstairs. Jimmy didn't bother following the boys, he headed for the door. He wanted to avoid all awkwardness involved right now with Cindy. Before he could get out the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Where do you think you're headed" the dark skinned girl ask him. He turned to face Libby who had a grin on her face.

"Libby please don't make this weird right now."

"Jimmy, you're gonna have to face her eventually. Why not now?"

"I promise I will, but not tonight. I need to get home, I've got some things to do for Sam tomorrow and I need to get some sleep in."

The raven haired girl just shook her head at the genius.

"Whatever you say" and with that she returned to the living room.

Jimmy drove the small distance to his home, where someone was sitting on his porch. He shook his head at the female and walked up to her.

"Why are you here" he asked annoyed.

"Heard she was back in town" the doe eyed girl said back with glassy, red eyes.

"Yeah, yeah she is. You wreak of weed"

"Don't change the subject. So what does this mean? Me and you are done?"

"Betty, what have ever been, honestly? We fuck, meaningless sex."

"I just always figured you would finally understand she wasn't coming back, that me and you were gonna end up playing fucking house in Retroville, all the family stuff. Have a couple of kids and all of that. I want what Libby and Sheen have" she half begged him, tears starting to build up on her eyelids. He rubbed his hand through his hair. He didn't need this right now.

"Betty, that's not what we are. That's not what we'll ever be. Libby and Sheen were made for each other, built for one another. Me and you? We just molded enough to fit together" and with that the genius push past the stoned girl and into his home.

She pushed herself against the door, tears slowly running down her face.

"James...James...Just love me...please" was all he heard her say.

His mother was passed out on the couch, bottles of vodka laying around it. He grabbed a blanket from the nearby closet and spread it over his mom.

"I'm gonna get you some help soon mom...I promise"


End file.
